THE HINDU EDITORIAL : MAY 5, 2018
THE HINDU EDITORIAL : MAY 5, 2018
a) Poll position: on the delay in drafting the Cauvery scheme
The Centre’s excuse for being unable to submit a draft scheme on the Cauvery issue is so poor that it will convince nobody. That it was extremely reluctant to take a decision which could have electoral repercussions in Karnataka, which goes to the polls on May 12, is well known. But the Attorney General’s explanation that the draft scheme could not be readied because the Prime Minister and other ministers were busy “travelling” in Karnataka is laughable.
While the world of politics is sometimes ruled more by expediency than law, the Centre has cut a sorry figure by admitting in court that its leaders are too preoccupied with an election campaign to fulfil a court directive — one over which it could be punished for contempt. That the Attorney General asked for the contempt petition to be taken up a day after the Karnataka election gives the game away. There are several reasons why the Centre’s stand is legally untenable and morally wrong. First and foremost, the framing of a scheme to implement a river water tribunal’s award is the Centre’s statutory obligation, and it is not open to the government to weigh its political or electoral implications in the face of such a deadline.
Besides, the plea that the Prime Minister and the Union Minister concerned were unavailable is questionable — a day before the submission was made, the Cabinet had met and announced important decisions. In its verdict on February 16, 2018, the apex court granted six weeks’ time to the Centre for framing the scheme. It added for good measure that no extension of time would be granted on any ground. Yet, on the eve of the expiry of the deadline, the Union government chose to file an application seeking three more months.
Tamil Nadu filed a contempt petition. In its application for more time, the Centre had mentioned that it had convened a meeting of representatives of the four States and had also cited the differences of opinion among the States over the composition of the proposed mechanism. There was at least a ring of truth to this, given that consulting the parties over the composition of the scheme was necessary to frame it. Even then, the Supreme Court was unimpressed; it had asked the Centre to prove its bona fides by submitting a draft scheme on May 3.
That it not only failed to do so, but also chose to cite the Prime Minister’s preoccupation with the campaign is bound to raise questions about its commitment to impartial governance and its disdain for judicial orders. The Centre’s attitude suggests that it hopes to persuade the court that a degree of political expediency in the light of the election is normal and acceptable. Clearly, it is not as keen on proving its own bona fides as it is on improving its prospects in Karnataka.
b) Raising fences: on the plight of Britons of West Indies origin
The scandal over the targeting of Britons of Caribbean origin is the latest twist in Europe’s recent politics over immigration, denting the continent’s image as being open, liberal and tolerant. The development comes at an awkward moment for London, which hopes to negotiate trade agreements with the countries of the British Commonwealth as it withdraws from the European Union. The Windrush generation, named after one of the many vessels that ferried some half a million people from the Caribbean islands to the U.K. in the late 1940s, has fallen victim to a ruthless policy that stipulates annual net immigration objectives.
In its wake, people with cultural links to the region but who have lived all their lives in the U.K. are having to provide proof of residence for every year of their stay of up to 60-70 years. Inability to furnish such evidence has been met with job losses, threat of deportation, withdrawal of welfare benefits and even denial of critical medical care. For Britons of West Indies origin, the enormous emotional trauma of being regarded as aliens in a country that had invited their families to rebuild its economy must be hard enough to endure. Knowledge that they are at the receiving end of a policy devised by Prime Minister Theresa May when she was in charge of the Home Office only adds to their anxiety. In the event, Ms. May’s apology to the heads of Commonwealth governments over the mistreatment of people from Britain’s former colonies, and the resignation of Amber Rudd as Home Secretary, brought too little comfort and too late.
The Windrush saga is a reminder of the grotesque response from some central European governments in 2015 to prevent desperate Syrian migrants from entering their territory. It is arguable whether the debate over the so-called illegal immigration across the industrialised world has focussed attention on systemic shortcomings and genuine violations. But surely, the controversy has typified the inability of governments to manage the political fallout from the current phase of globalisation and trade liberalisation.
This is especially true of the EU, which has enshrined the free movement of people as a fundamental principle. Consequently, the 2004 expansion of the bloc into the countries of the erstwhile Soviet Union afforded nations in Western Europe cheap immigrant labour and compliance with better standards. But the process also gave a fillip to xenophobic parties of the extreme right across the region, threatening to halt immigration. Similarly, populist parties in Britain fuelled public anger over the dynamics of closer integration to target EU migrants during the 2016 referendum. The country’s two mainstream parties, although committed to remaining in the bloc, could hardly counter the trend. The lessons from the Windrush scandal are too fundamental to miss.
WORDS/ VOCABULARY
1) Reluctant
Meaning: Unwilling and hesitant; disinclined.
Example: “today, many ordinary people are still reluctant to talk about politics”
Synonyms: Unwilling, Grudging
Antonyms: Willing, Eager
2) Repercussions
Meaning: An unintended consequence of an event or action, especially an unwelcome one.
Example: “the move would have grave repercussions for the entire region”
Synonyms: Consequence, Effect
3) Expediency
Meaning: The quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral; convenience.
Example: “an act of political expediency”
Synonyms: Convenience, Advantage
Antonyms: Disadvantage
4) Cut a sorry figure
Meaning: To be ashamed.
Example: She cut a sorry figure in his maiden speech.
5) Preoccupied
Meaning: (of a matter or subject) dominate or engross the mind of (someone) to the exclusion of other thoughts.
Example: “his mother was preoccupied with paying the bills”
Synonyms: Concerned
6) Contempt
Meaning: Behaviour that is illegal because it does not obey or respect the rules of a law court.
Example: The tobacco companies may be guilty of contempt of court for refusing to produce the documents.
7) Gives the game away
Meaning: To spoil a surprise or a joke by telling someone something that should have been kept secret.
Example: It’s a secret, so don’t give the game away, will you?
Synonyms: Revealing secrets, Becoming known
8) Untenable
Meaning: (especially of a position or view) not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection.
Example: “this argument is clearly untenable”
Synonyms: Unarguable, Flawed
Antonyms: Tenable, Defensible
9) Obligation
Meaning: The condition of being morally or legally bound to do something.
Example: “they are under no obligation to stick to the scheme”
10) Weigh
Meaning: To carefully consider, especially by comparing facts or possibilities, in order to make a decision.
Example: Economic benefits must be carefully weighed against the possible dangers of handling radioactive waste.
11) A ring of truth
Meaning: To seem to be true.
Example: This story has the ring of truth.
Synonyms: True, Real
Antonyms: False, Unreal
12) Preoccupation
Meaning: The state or condition of being preoccupied or engrossed with something.
Example: “his preoccupation with politics”
Synonyms: Concentration, Absorption
13) Disdain
Meaning: The feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one’s consideration or respect.
Example: “her upper lip curled in disdain”
Synonyms: Contempt, Scorn
Antonyms: Admiration, Respect
14) Persuade
Meaning: To cause people to do or believe something, esp. by explaining why they should.
Example: The government is trying to persuade consumers to save more.
15) Expediency
Meaning: The quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral; convenience.
Example: “an act of political expediency”
Synonyms: Convenience, Advantage
Antonyms: Disadvantage
16) Caribbean
Meaning: The islands and countries in and around the Caribbean Sea.
Example: They’re holidaying somewhere in the Caribbean.
17) Denting
Meaning: Have an adverse effect on; diminish.
Example: “this neither deterred him nor dented his enthusiasm”
Synonyms: Diminish, Reduce
Antonyms: Increase
18) Awkward
Meaning: Causing inconvenience, anxiety, or embarrassment.
Example: It was an awkward situation, because the restaurant was too expensive for us but we didn’t want to just get up and walk out.
Synonyms: Difficult, Unpleasant
Antonyms: Relaxed, Easy
19) Ferried
Meaning: Transport from one place to another on short or regular trips.
Example: “ambulances ferried the injured to hospital”
20) Ruthless
Meaning: Having or showing no pity or compassion for others.
Example: “a ruthless manipulator”
Synonyms: Merciless, Cruel
Antonyms: Gentle, Compassionate
21) Stipulates
Meaning: Demand or specify (a requirement), typically as part of an agreement.
Example: “he stipulated certain conditions before their marriage”
Synonyms: Specify, Demand
22) Furnish
Meaning: To supply or provide something needed.
Example: Jeanne’s catering company furnished all the food for the party.
Synonyms: Provide, Supply
Antonyms: Divest
23) Trauma
Meaning: Emotional shock following a stressful event or a physical injury, which may lead to long-term neurosis.
Example: “the event is relived with all the accompanying trauma”
Synonyms: Shock, Distress
24) Endure
Meaning: To continue to exist for a long time.
Example: The political system established in 1400 endured until about 1650.
Synonyms: Continue, Persist
Antonyms: Fade, Short-lived
25) Devised
Meaning: Plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought.
Example: “a training programme should be devised”
Synonyms: Conceive, Frame
26) Anxiety
Meaning: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
Example: “he felt a surge of anxiety”
Synonyms: Worry, Concern
Antonyms: Calmness, Serenity
27) Grotesque
Meaning: Strange and unpleasant, especially in a silly or slightly frightening way.
Example: “Gothic churches are full of devils and grotesque figures.”
Synonyms: Serious, Unpleasant
28) Desperate
Meaning: (of a situation) extremely serious or dangerous.
Example: “there is a desperate shortage of teachers”
Synonyms: Serious, Dangerous
29) So-called
Meaning: Used to show that something or someone is commonly designated by the name or term specified.
Example: “Western Countries belonging to the so-called Paris club”
Synonyms: Ostensible, Pretend
30) Industrialised
Meaning: Develop industries in (a country or region) on a wide scale.
Example: “the industrialized nations”
31) Controversy
Meaning: Prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion.
Example: “the design of the building has caused controversy”
Synonyms: Disagreement, Dispute
Antonyms: Agreement, Accord
32) Typified
Meaning: Be characteristic or a representative example of.
Example: “tough, low-lying vegetation typifies this arctic area”
Synonyms: Epitomize, Exemplify
33) Fallout
Meaning: The unpleasant results or effects of an action or event:
Example: The political fallout of the revelations has been immense.
34) Liberalisation
Meaning: The removal or loosening of restrictions on something, typically an economic or political system.
Example: “the government’s policy of economic liberalization”
35) Enshrined
Meaning: Preserve (a right, tradition, or idea) in a form that ensures it will be protected and respected.
Example: “the right of all workers to strike was enshrined in the new constitution”
Synonyms: Express, Realize
36) Bloc
Meaning: A group of countries or political parties with common interests who have formed an alliance.
Example: “the Soviet bloc”
Synonyms: Alliance, Association
37) Xenophobic
Meaning: Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.
Example: “racism and xenophobia are steadily growing in Europe”
Synonyms: Racism, Racialism
38) Threatening
Meaning: Having a hostile or deliberately frightening quality or manner.
Example: “her mother had received a threatening letter”
Synonyms: Menacing, Scary
39) Fuelled
Meaning: Sustain or inflame (an intense feeling).
Example: “his resignation fuelled speculation of an imminent cabinet reshuffle”
Synonyms: Stimulate, Intensify
Antonyms: Dampen
40) Referendum
Meaning: A general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision.
Example: “he called for a referendum on the death penalty”
Synonyms: Popular vote, Poll
Want to learn more, Check the Previous Day of THE HINDU EDITORIAL which was published in our Bankersdaily and learn new words to enhance your Vocabulary.
THE HINDU EDITORIAL – May 2, 2018
Aspirants can also check the previous month THE HINDU EDITORIAL and can improve the vocabulary list & can ace the exams. Learning the language is easy and this will make the process simple.
April – THE HINDU EDITORIAL
